Warner pumps up -12:09am

Hot off the success of last year's acclaimed Citizen Kane and Doctor Zhivago two-disc special editions - both among the top DVD catalog sellers of the year - Warner has just announced the launch of a new branded line of "premium" supplement-packed collector's sets. The first five titles in the rather unimaginatively titled "Two Disc Special Edition" series were announced earlier this week, including Milos Forman's Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Best Picture Oscar winner Unforgiven, and a 50th Anniversary edition of Singin' in the Rain (see the 7/8 update for full details), and Warner is planning their biggest-ever promotional push for a catalog release with the titles, backed up by extensive print, television and radio ad campaigns.

But although Warner has long supported extensive supplemental content on DVD special editions, this will be the first time the studio is branding both the packaging and a specific number of supplements required to earn the label. Warner Home Video VP Michael Radiloff told various trade publications last week that, based on the success of both Citizen Kane and Doctor Zhivago, the studio "clearly saw there was an audience out there willing to pay a premium of classic films on fully loaded DVDs." In addition to the first five titles, Radiloff revealed that the studio plans to aggressively support the line with 10-12 additional releases per year starting in 2003. No further titles have been announced.

In other Warner news, the studio has also begun work on extensive box sets celebrating the works of two of today's most critically and commercially successful filmmakers, Martin Scorsese and Barbra Streisand. The Scorsese collection will include five of the director's top Warner titles, including new special editions of Mean Streets, Goodfellas, After Hours and Who's Knocking at My Door?, while the Streisand set is slated to include such classics as Peter Bogdonavich's What's Up, Doc?, Up the Sandbox and the 1976 remake of Main Event. Both talents will be involved in their respective collections, and with production already underway, watch for more details to emerge next year. As always, stay tuned!

Come back to the five and dime, Daphne Zuniga, Daphne Zuniga - 12:09am

Ahhh, yes, another month, another great collection of Anchor Bay cult classics. Just in are details for a bunch of their September titles, all arriving on 9/10. First up is - at long last - the unrated version of the cult shocker Society, presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 2.0 surround, along with a new audio commentary with director Brian Yuzna and the trailer. Next up is the Daphne Zuniga guilty pleasure The Initiation, featuring a new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, a mono track and the trailer. Retail is $19.95 each.

Also coming from Anchor Bay on 9/10 is The Alec Guiness Collection, featuring four early gems celebrating the late actor's quite brilliant career. Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Ladykillers, The Man in the White Suit and The Lavender Hill Mob are all presented in their original 1.37:1 aspect ratios (except The Ladykillers, presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen) and all include their original mono soundtracks, a Guiness bio and trailers. Retail is $19.95 each, or $79.95 for a 4-pack containing all four films.

Last but not least, the highly-anticipated 9/10 release of Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark will also include a DTS track and Anchor Bay's first-ever ROM extras, the film's completely screenplay and screensavers, in addition to the already-announced specs. This two-disc set retails for $29.95.